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the Nile, the two weak monarchs, Charles-Emanuel of Sardinia, and Ferdinand IV. of Naples, began bestirring themselves to chase away republicanism from the vicinity of their respective kingdoms. The first hostile movement on the part of Charles Emanuel was the signal for the French to enter Turin. This they did on the 9th of December, and in three days made themselves masters of the whole of Piedmont. In a day or two afterwards the dethroned king, by the permission of the French General Joubert, retired with his family from his late Piedmontaise dominions, and on the 20th of December arrived at Florence on his way to Sardinia. King Ferdinand began his hostile demonstrations by sending General Mack with a large army to drive the French General Championnet out of Rome. This was accomplished, and on the 29th of November Ferdinand entered Rome in triumph. His Majesty's stay in that far-famed city was, however, of short duration. On the 15th of December the French repossessed themselves of Rome, and, after destroying the fortifications in and around the city, marched for Naples. In a few days afterwards General Championnet possessed himself of the strong fortresses of Pescara. Aware that the city of Naples would soon share the same fate, King Ferdinand, with the whole of the royal family, and their attendants and valuables, embarked, on the 21st of December, on board Lord Nelson's ship, the Vanguard, and, in five days afterwards, arrived at Palermo in Sicily. It has already been stated that General Buonaparte, when in the summer of 1797 he dissolved the Venetian Republic, possessed himself, on behalf of the French Republic, of several of the islands late belonging to Venice in the Adriatic. These were Corfu, Paxu, Ste.-Maura, Theaki, Cephalonia, Zante, and Cerigo. To these islands were attached, as dependencies on the neighbouring continent, the fortresses of Butrinto, Parga, Preveza, and Vonizza. Early in the month of September intelligence reached General Chabot, who had succeeded General Gentili in the chief command of these islands, that a combined Turkish and Russian fleet was waiting in the Dardanelles for a fair wind, to enter the Mediterranean, and commence hostilities against the French. By the early part of October a powerful army of Turks and Albanians, under Ali-Pacha and his son Mouktar, had swept away the French from all the Ionian dependencies in Albania ; and on the 6th of the month the Turco-Russian fleet, composed of 10 Russian sail of the line, four frigates, and several corvettes and brigs, under Vice-admiral Ouchakow, and of about 30 Turkish vessels, ships of the line, caravellas, corvettes, and brigs, under the orders of Cadir-Bey, appeared off the island of Cerigo. The Turkish division had on board about 8000 troops, but the Russian division very few. By the 10th of October the ^ back to top ^ |